


Everything is not what it seems

by its_a_beautiful_deformity



Series: Who said college life wasn't fun? [9]
Category: No. 6 - Asano Atsuko
Genre: Akira is a little bitch, Alternate Universe, Angst, Drug Use, Drugs, M/M, Making Out, Ryo my baby I'm sorry, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-02
Updated: 2017-01-02
Packaged: 2018-09-14 06:21:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9165814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/its_a_beautiful_deformity/pseuds/its_a_beautiful_deformity
Summary: Nezumi finally meets up with Ryo but what he receives are far from the good news he expected. Meanwhile Shion is fighting his own demons, trying to understand last time's events.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Hello? Anybody here? It's been so long I know :( I'm sorryyyyyyy! Uni has been hectic and now with exams coming up I've been running around like a headless chicken.  
> So here is the new part. I really hope you like it. Let me know your thoughts !  
> Again sorry for taking forever.

The water felt hot against his bare skin. It trickled down his body, turning red as it washed away the blood. Shion steadied himself against the shower wall staring at the mixture of blood and water making its way down the drain, hoping it would also take away all the pain and confusion with it.. His head was pounding and his cheeks hurt from the punches. The one from Nezumi more than the rest. His heart ached every time he thought about it. He hadn't seen it coming, would never have guessed that Nezumi would do such a thing. Did he really know him so little?  
Tonight had been hectic. Flashes of the events passed by without a warning, startling him. Piece by piece the puzzle came together to tell the story. The white haired man still couldn't believe what he had done but the pain and cuts on his face and arms came to contradict his belief. How could he have lashed out like that? He never thought he would or could do such a thing but when he had seen Nezumi on his knees being held down and beaten up, a heated rage started to built up and began consuming him. He felt like he was leaving his body and something else, dangerous and dark, was taking over. It was as if he was watching himself from afar beat up that person. He hadn't tried to stop it, he just let it happen. Had he even enjoyed it? No, Shion shook his head. He was not a violent person but even if he tried his best he couldn't deny the fact that he would have done it again if it meant saving Nezumi. Tonight he had discovered another side of himself, one he never knew existed, and it terrified him.  
The images of the man's face gradually appeared in his mind. Shion shut his eyes as if to avert his gaze but it didn't help. He could see him everywhere. Fighting the urge to vomit again he got out the shower. The room was filled with steam, covering the mirror. Shion wiped the mirror glass with his hand so as to look at himself. Both sides of his face were covered in bruises, shades of deep purple and blue intertwined resembling an abstract painting of mixed colours. His red eyes searched his face, trying to see if he would get a glimpse of the monster again but it was nowhere to be seen. What had Nezumi seen in him that night that had scared him? They hadn't talked in days. Shion couldn't bring himself up to the task as much as he wanted to. Their parting had been painful for both of them. They needed time to think things through and get their heads straight.  
That night Shion didn't sleep. He lay restless in bed, fighting back the images of crushed bone and the taste of blood in his mouth. It was only in the early hours of the morning that he fell asleep, dreaming no dreams. Just deafening darkness.

                                                                                                  -------

_Blood was oozing out of his lip from the bite, his entire body ached and he was hardly conscious. Takeshi is not done with him though. Nezumi wants to fight but he can't. All his energy is drained. Takeshi enters him again rough and hard. It hurts. It always does but Nezumi knows how to take the pain, he has learned. Ryo is there. He is made to watch. He hates this. Wants to run over and help Nezumi but he knows he can't. If he does Nezumi will be punished instead of him and that's even worse than him being hurt. So he sits there and watches. The only sounds in the room are coming from Takeshi, Nezumi doesn't make a sound. He won't give him that pleasure and satisfaction. He just stares at Ryo, looks him straight in the eyes. It's the only thing keeping him going, not letting him drift off into insanity._

Nezumi woke up in a cold sweat. His head was spinning. The nightmare was too realistic, only it wasn't a nightmare. It was memories from a far away and forgotten past that the drug helped dig up to haunt his dreams. His mouth was dry and sweat covered his body, dripping from his forehead onto his bed sheets. And than nausea hit him. Nezumi ran to the bathroom, kneeling over the toilet. The taste of bile strong in his mouth since he hadn't eaten anything in hours. The side effects were getting to him. The drama student got up slowly and walked to the living room. The apartment was spinning around him for a few minutes. He cursed himself under his breath for his stupidity. Than it struck him. Today he was going to meet with Ryo. Anticipation filled him. Today he was finally going to get some answers that would help him out of this mess. He would be able to see Ryo again.

                                                                                                   -------

It felt like years had passed since their last encounter. Nezumi was waiting for Ryo at the alley his old friend had told him to meet. A street lamp flickered above him casting its dim light at the narrow street. The dumpsters next to the back door of a cheap twenty four hour fast food omitted a foul odor, filling the air with the smell of decaying food. Time was passing tortuously slow and Nezumi was becoming restless. His heart was about to jump from his chest. The anticipation to get answers added to the tugging sensation for another dose was enough to push him over the edge.  
Ryo appeared suddenly from the shadows and approached with caution. His dusky blonde hair covered his eyes. Nezumi could hardly see his face hiding behind the hoodie. As he got closer, the lamp casted its dim light on his face but Ryo quickly turned his head to avoid the yellow light. Nezumi though had seen it. A big bruise spread through the left side of his face ending next to a torn lip. The drama student lifted his hand and placed it lightly on Ryo's battered face. _How could someone want to destroy something so beautiful?_ Nezumi thought as he gently turned Ryo's head towards the light to get a better look. His old friend tried to hide his face in the hoodie but there was no escaping him now.  
  
“Was it Takeshi? No he wouldn't get his hands dirty that easily...” his voice was firm trying to fight down the anger that had started to boil inside of him.  
Ryo didn't say anything, his emerald green eyes pierced through Nezumi as he slightly nodded.  
  
“They didn't like me snooping around.... So Takeshi thought it be good to have someone remind me of my place. You know how it goes...” Ryo voice didn't sound as fragile as Nezumi would have expected. No of course not. Ryo might look frail but that was far from the truth, how could he forget that?  
  
“I got you into this...”  
  
Ryo lifted his hand to stop him. “ I told you I wanted to help in anyway I could.” Ryo's face lit up with a smile. Nezumi's heart clenched at the sight. Ryo could always smile, no matter what the situation, it was one of the things the dark haired man had always loved about him.  
  
“So, don't you want to know what I've found out about your little friend?”  
  
Nezumi's eyes immediately hardened. The time had finally come for him to get some answers.  
“I'll take your sudden silence and murdering look as a yes ! Apparently Akira is the son of the dean of medicine in one of Tokyo's largest hospitals.”  
  
“I know that much Ryo !” Nezumi spat out. His nerves were getting the better of him. He was sure it was due to the drugs. He mentally kicked himself again as the thought of using them once more passed through his mind.  
  
“Someone is impatient ! Alright I'll get to the point. This imagine that they sell though is fake. As a dean of medicine you are guaranteed to make money but they are making way more than the usual paycheck of the month. All this is just a mask they are wearing to cover the truth.”  
  
“And I thought I was the dramatic one here... Where are you going with this Ryo?”  
  
“I'm saying that they have connection with the Yakuza...”  
  
Nezumi's blood ran cold. This had to be some kind of sick joke. He was hoping that the news would be helpful , that they would provide some kind of answer out of this mess. Instead what he got was a blow to the head. Ryo continued to speak, now his voice a whisper.  
  
“The familly runs a side clinic for the Yakuza and in exchange get paid. I am talking a nice big fat paycheck. Akira sometimes often works there, that's how I found out about this. I overheard one of Takeshi's man talking. He had been to the clinic and heard Akira mention your name and reported it to Takeshi. That's how he got in touch with Akira. From the looks of it Akira really hates you. So it wasn't hard for him to say no to that red haired prick when he asked for his assistance to crush you or bring you back. Nezumi... I'm worried about you.... Why does this Akira guy hate you so much?”  
  
All this was too much information for Nezumi to process. He felt like he was drowning. The light he had seen at the end of the tunnel was just another fire set to burn him alive.  
  
“Ryo...are you sure about this?” his voice was deep, filled with worry. Something Ryo had never heard before.  
  
“Unfortunately, yes. I'm positive.... Nezumi... I have an idea but you're not going to like it... As you saw yourself my face is not model quality standard right now but it is stage material.”Nezumi eyed him suspiciously.  
  
“This is the perfect excuse to go have a visit at the clinic and get to know Akira. Maybe get something out of him. I know my way around his type.”  
  
“No, You've done enough. You're not getting yourself any deeper in this storry”  
  
“My sweet Nezumi, I wasn't asking for your permission. I was simply stating what would happen.” Ryo shot him his most innocent smile that he could conjure. Nezumi didn't say a word he just stood there looking at him.  
  
“No witty remark? Who are you?” Ryo voice was playful but his eyes searched Nezumi, looking for any signs that would give away what he was thinking but his efforts were in vain. “You have been acting a little weird, you don't look good either...”  
  
“I'm fine, don't worry about it. That punch must have messed up your sight too...”  
  
“Ah there you go! I was getting worried!” Aside his joyful attitude, Ryo was concerned. His friend's stance, the small twitches of his hands, his dilating pupils, reminded him of the old days when he was... No it couldn't be, must be his imagination. Ryo wanted to ask but knew his question would fall on deaf ears. He knew pushing his way through would get him nowhere with Nezumi.  
  
“It's getting late. I have to get back, I wouldn't want to get matching bruises on either side of my face... Give me your number and I'll find a way to contact you again.”  
  
Nezumi hesitated a bit. This would mean living a trail behind but right now he couldn't see another way around this mess and this was Ryo he trusted this man with his life. With that final thought he scribbled down quickly his number and handed it to Ryo.  
  
“Oooh lucky me! I have your number now...Does this mean I can text you at night when I'm alone?” Ryo teased him but deep inside he wished he wasn't. This was killing him slowly. Placing the knife back into a wound that had hardly ever healed. He hated that feeling when you tell the truth to someone but are forced to pass it as a lie or a mere joke because actually admitting it would just complicate things. That moment your tongue slips. That sense of courage you had mastered to finally say it and once you do and hear it out loud that feeling of your heart sinking hits you and the only way to make things up again is to try and cover it up as a joke, a lie as it never really matter. But it did.  
  
“Yes, it means you can call me whenever you want...” For a moment Ryo was startled. He looked into Nezumi's grey eyes and didn't see any flicker of teasing.  
  
“Just be careful it doesn't fall into the wrong hands...” And the moment was gone. As simple as that. Like the light of a fire instantly disappearing once all oxygen disappears. Becase that's how Ryo felt when he was near Nezumi. He could burn the whole world for him but instantly disappear with out him.  
  
“Don't worry, no one is getting to you through me.” He wanted to wrap his arms around him, take in his scent that always reminded him of pine wood. It's the one thing he could never forget. Maybe it was because of all that time he spend in the forest when he got out of the city, maybe it was the hours in the theater, running up and down on that wooden floor. Whatever it was, this was Nezumi's scent and he couldn't get enough of him. Ryo realized he had been moving towards him unconsciously and stopped midway.  
  
“Well I must be off then.... It was great seeing you again Nezumi.”  
They parted ways each lost in their own tormenting thoughts.  
  
                                                                                               -------  
  
The first rays of sunlight passed through the window and cast their warm light on bruised and gashed skin. Shion squinted at the rude intrusion. His white hair was ruffled from the sleep, white strands of hair flying in every direction. He felt as if he was moving at a glacial pace. Everything ached. Even though he had only slept for a couple of hours, to him it was like waking up from a centuries sleep. Fidgeting through his nightstand, he found his cellphone and swiped the screen to unlock it. The bright light shown violently on his still red form sleep eyes. If someone had seen him now they would have thought he was bleeding from his eyes. Ruby eyes in contrast to the red from an early wake up did not make the best combination. Shion averted his gaze quickly, it took him a few seconds to adjust his vision on the bright screen. “No messages” his heart sank in his chest. He cast aside the phone on his bed and in slow, agonizing movements headed for the bathroom. The cold water on his face would do him good and chase away the drowsiness.  
The day passed with Shion trying to make as few eye contact as he possibly could with the students and professors at the university. He already attracted unwanted attention to himself without much effort but now with a bruised face, he was the talk of the town. When the last lecture was over, Shion found he was running towards his dorm. He had enough of all the whispers and stolen looks the people were giving him. The only eyes that he wanted on him were a pair of grey, shimmering orbs that made him feel that he belonged somewhere but where nowhere to be found.  
It was nearing midnight, the campus grounds had gone quite and Shion had burried himself in his studies. Anything was better than to think of the past days events, the blood, the crushed face. A light knock on the door distracted him. Shion got up to open the door hoping it was Nezumi. At this time who else could it be? Fate, though seemed to want to torment him more and he felt all the joy that had piled up leave his body at an instant. Instead of grey eyes, in front of him were a pair of deep greens. Instead of long, silk, slate hair he came across short black as coal strands.  
  
“I heard you got a new make over... So since I'm a med student as you well know, I thought I'd come by and check up on you.” Akira's voice sounded confident as usual.  
  
“Oh hey... I'm good thank's. You didn't need to come all the way here...”  
  
“No, I wanted to.” The med student extended his arm and reached for Shion's cheek. He was greeted with eyes as cold as ice and an immediate step backwards to avoid any form of contact.  
  
“Some one is moody tonight.”  
  
“You should leave. I don't want to see you again.”  
  
“Ouch ! That is very blunt and straight to the point. Come on let me have a look” With that Akira closed the gap between them, leaving Shion with little space to maneuver.  
  
“He told you to back the hell away. Or are you deaf as well as stupid?” The voice emerged from the far end of the corridor while footstep were heard coming closer and at a faster pace. Nezumi didn't wait for an answer. He grabbed Akira by the shoulder and shoved him away.  
  
“It's true what they say about the cities being infested with rats... you're everywhere.”  
  
“Stop! Both of you. I am not in the mood for a fight and I am being dead serious.” Both of the men stopped in their spots and looked at Shion. His voice gave no sign of quivering, no hesitation. His stance had changed and was shooting both of them a look that spoke in volumes of how serious he was.  
  
“Shion I-”  
  
“Get inside Nezumi.” And he found himself walking past him and entering the appartment.  
  
“As for you, leave now.” Akira had no longer that teasing look in his eyes. They had faded into a darker hue, extruding a sense of anger as if someone had come to rob him of his favourite toy. He left without another word but something told Shion that it would't be the last time he heard from him.  
  
“What was that all about?”  
  
“A simple thank you would suffice! I helped you out didn't I?  
  
“I know how to take care of myself Nezumi...”  
  
“Yeah I know... You proved it last time...”  
  
Shion felt a tug inside him. It was still hard to face him but he did not feel any regrets about his actions. Not when it came to Nezumi.  
The atmosphere in the room was charged, a small spark and Shion thought that the whole room could blow up. With wary steps, like trying not to scare a wild animal away,he made his way to Nezumi sitting beside him on the floor next to the bed.  
  
“About last time...”  
  
“What done is done.” Nezumi interrupted him.  
  
“I agree, so stop acting like its not bothering you cause you said it yourself it's done.”  
  
Nezumi eyed him, annoyed with his quick answer because once again he was right.  
  
“I missed you.”Shion's eyes were once again that warm red colour and that soft smile sprayed across his lips that made Nezumi's heart skip a beat every time he layed his eyes upon them. The statement had come out of nowhere and caught him of guard. Nezumi had no idea what to answer to things like this so he did what he knew best. He acted. Leaning in he placed his hand on the back of Shion's nape and pulled him close to his face stopping only a few centimeters away from him. They could feel their breath on each other's skin, sending shivers down their spine. Shion's lips were warm and Nezumi could feel the healing gash on his lip. He licked it and Shion shuddered. All the worries and insecurities flowing out of him. He had missed this so much. Had missed Nezumi, his touch, taking in his scent when they were so close together. Nezumi's tongue brushed his lips and Shion parted them allowing the other in, letting him taste him and relish in that moment. Nezumi applied more pressure with his hand bringing the closer, his fingers passing through locks of snow white hair. He took the bottom lip between his, giving it a gently bite, teasing him as he moved towards his neck. Placing kisses all the way down to his collar bone. Shion had closed his eyes, indulging in the feel of it all. Setting small fires along his body. They both parted from the heated kiss out of breath, needing to stop for a while because Shion thought he room was spining.  
  
“I'll take that as a “I missed you too”". Shion smiled at him, lips red from the kissing and biting. Nezumi loved the sight.  
  
“Let's get out of here.”  
  
“What? Now? Why? Wh-” Shion stopped abruptly when he realised he was blabbing out too many questions again. Nezumi grabbed him by the hand and led him out.  
  
“It's a beautiful night tonight, don't feel like staying in. Plus I don't want any more nasty surprises form You Know Who.”  
  
“Your puns are getting worse by the minute... I'm getting worried !”  
  
A rich laughter escaped Nezumi surrounding them, Shion could listen to it all day. The night was indeed breathtaking. The sky had cleared from all the clouds and the dense smog that was covering the city had gone with them. The starts shown bright enough to be seen over the city lights. Time passed without either of them noticing how late it was getting. Talking about everything and nothing, forgetting about their troubles even for just these few hours. They came to a stop in front of Nezumi's apartment.  
  
“If I didn't know you any better I'd say you were trying to lure me in to come upstairs with you.” Shion teased him as he glanced at the drama student.  
  
“And what makes you think I'm not doing exactly that?” Nezumi teased back although Shion could have sworn that for an instant he felt that Nezumi was being serious.  
  
“So?”  
  
“So what?”  
  
“You're joking right? So are you coming up Shion?" How could someone be so smart and daring on one hand and so innocent looking and carefree on the other?  
Shion looked taken aback. He wanted more than anything to go with him but suddenly a wave of insecurity washed over him. They had just patched things up he did not want to go and ruin things again. His feet however moved on their own, step by step walking towards Nezumi as it was the most natural thing to do. No, he was not going to miss a chance to stay with him. But what you're hoping to find is not always what you get... And what you get is sometimes the thing you expected least to find....

 


End file.
